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Study Notes on Intersectionality and Mary Romero

Short Introductions Series

  • Series featuring various authors and topics in social sciences.

    • Contributors include:

    • Nicholas Abercrombie, Sociology

    • Michael Bury, Health and Illness

    • Raewyn Connell and Rebecca Pearse, Gender (3rd edition)

    • Hartley Dean, Social Policy (2nd edition)

    • Lena Dominelli, Introducing Social Work

    • Jonathan Gray and Amanda D. Lotz, Television Studies

    • Jeffrey Haynes, Development Studies

    • Stuart Henry, Social Deviance

    • Stephanie Lawson, International Relations (3rd edition)

    • Chris Rojek, Cultural Studies

    • Mary Romero, Introducing Intersectionality

    • Karen Wells, Childhood Studies

Copyright Information

  • Copyright 2018 by Mary Romero.

    • Rights under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

    • First published by Polity Press.

  • ISBN information and publishing details provided, including cataloging information.

Detailed Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Identifying Intersectionality (Page 1)

  3. Where Does Intersectionality Come From? (Page 8)

  4. Intersectionality in Everyday Campus Life (Page 38)

  5. Intersectionality and Social Identities: Examining Gender (Page 61)

  6. Exploring Interlocking Systems of Oppression and Privilege (Page 79)

  7. Intersectional Approaches to Social Issues: The Wealth Gap, the Care Crisis and Black Lives Matter (Page 115)

  8. Conclusion: Intersectionality and Social Justice (Page 136)

  9. References (Page 167)

  10. Index (Page 174)

Chapter: Where Does Intersectionality Come From?

  • Definition of Intersectionality: A framework to understand how various aspects of a person's identity (such as race, gender, and class) intersect and contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege.

  • Critical Race Feminist Concerns:

    • Diversity is not equivalent to intersectionality.

    • Wrongful interpretation leads to misunderstanding institutional inequalities.

    • Calls for diversity often perpetuate existing stereotypes rather than eliminate inequalities.

Conceptual Roots of Intersectionality

  • Intersectionality emerged from social activism aimed at understanding specific inequalities.

  • Activists illustrated that traditional frameworks do not adequately capture diverse experiences.

  • Examples include: prejudiced legal systems and social hierarchies not addressing the needs of women of color and LGBTQ individuals.

Coining the Term

  • Kimberlé Crenshaw is credited with coining the term in her 1989 work.

    • Her work illustrated the legal failures to address discrimination faced by Black women.

    • Example: Traffic accident analogy describing discrimination flowing from multiple directions.

Historical Context and Activism

  • Early Activists: Acknowledge contributions of Black women such as Maria Stewart, Sojourner Truth, and others:

    • Sojourner Truth's 1851 'Ain't I a woman?' speech.

    • Anna Julia Cooper emphasized the intersection of race and gender.

    • Maria Stewart's call for education among Black women.

Contributions from Black Feminism

  • Frances Beale's essay "Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female" highlighted the intersections of race, class, and gender.

  • Combahee River Collective: Defined Black feminism and emphasized interlocking oppressions.

Sociological Roots in Intersectionality

  • 1970s to 1990s: Feminists expanded intersectionality through activism.

  • Key Figures: Patricia Hill Collins, whose work on the matrix of domination highlighted layers of oppression experienced by Black women.

Understanding Power Dynamics

  • Scholars emphasized no singular approach to oppression; instead, they focused on the interaction of multiple systems of power such as capitalism, sexism, racism, etc.

  • Importance of acknowledging fluidity in experiences based on context (personal, community, institutional).

Theoretical Frameworks Addressing Intersectionality

  • Matrix of Domination:

    • A concept that highlights how different forms of oppression are interconnected and experienced in various dimensions.

  • Social Constructionism: Understanding how identities like race and gender are constructed through societal norms and power structures.

Implications for Research and Activism

  • Importance of acknowledging positionality: how researchers' experiences and identities affect their work.

  • Calls for acknowledging multiple voices and perspectives in both research and activism to reflect the realities of marginalized groups.

Discussion Questions

  1. How do intersectional perspectives surface from lived experiences?

  2. What role do historical contexts play in understanding systems of oppression?

  3. What significant contributions have Black feminists made to intersectionality?